Tradition-Based Societies: Local Values for International Cooperation

Mihaly Hoppál
Director
European Folklore Institute
(formerly European Center for Traditional Culture)
Budapest, Hungary

The knowledge that humankind has accumulated, the wonderful technical advances, the marvelous opportunities afforded by the information society of today, have meant for the most part seemingly limitless economic growth, exploitation of the weak, and destruction of the natural environment. We have created an information-based society, but we have not yet achieved a knowledge-based society, in which knowledge is equally distributed and finally leads us towards self-restraint. Perhaps knowledge also leads to moral behavior.

In any event, knowledge leads us to understand the significance of tradition. Over the centuries, local traditions have developed valuable experience, techniques for protecting the environment, and skills for handling social conflict (drama, games, customs, rites, and folk healing skills, to mention but a few), which make up a treasure trove of common knowledge for mankind. It is no accident that exactly ten years have passed since UNESCO accepted the Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore.

Obviously, cultural traditions and folklore have preserved the elements necessary for expressing the identity of many ethnic groups. Elements consist not only of the stones of ancient buildings and historical ruins or other tangible cultural heritage but also of the intangible. In many cases, these invisible, spiritual traditions -- hardly articulated, sometimes only sung or danced -- are more meaningful than anything else because people are deeply attached to them. It is precisely the wars and ethnic conflicts of our leaders that suddenly make us realize what imagined, ancient traditions mean for certain nations -- the myth for which a history is created or the legend which makes history. Whether they are true or not is of little importance. They can help mobilize crowds, start wars, and build ideological castles in the air. Simply put, local value systems, systems of belief, mythology, prejudice, and differences in customs and religions may provide a basis for conflict. It is not the cultural traditions themselves, however, but ignorance of them, misinformation about them, refusing to recognize their existence, or attempting to eradicate them, which create extreme emotions.

Nor can we make progress without getting to know the cultural traditions of others. Events of the last few years clearly show that it is precisely the intangible part of a culture which changes more slowly. The objects of the material world deteriorate, wear out; we throw them away if they are no longer usable; but we like to preserve sayings, proverbs, beliefs, myths, and legends -- even if we don’t need them every day. And these are the cultural factors that influence emotional decisions, prejudices developed about others, our picture of the enemy, and the patterns of national identity and forms of behavior when conflicts occur (e.g., in questions of heroism, honor or revenge, we always act according to the laws of local tradition!). Ethnological research can provide countless examples to prove this statement.

The teachings of Anglo-Saxon social anthropology are not much used in international relations, and unfortunately, the contempt for the cultural identity of certain ethnic groups also conforms to Anglo-Saxon patterns, insofar as it is individual freedoms which are held to be most important. The individual and the present above all else! But we must understand that there are cultures where a respect for the community, for tradition and the past have priority over the individual! In a tradition-based society, it is not the short-term but the long term aims that are important, not fast development (which often goes together with destruction) but the slow process of constructing and maintaining balance.

Therefore, as an anthropologist, I propose the following for international cooperation:

• Educating younger generations to learn to respect the traditions of other nations is the only way to achieve the peaceful coexistence of different ethnic groups.
• Organizing festivals shows the values of local traditions and enables nations to get to know each other’s culture. Recognizing the diversity of cultures is part of developing tolerance.
• Documenting local traditions and heritage (a never-ending task) is the only way we can hand something on to the next generation! It is important to carry out this preservation using contemporary means -- (e.g., video, film, multimedia) -- because this is the only way to reach the masses.

At first glance globalization, with its highly developed communication technology, appears to help international cooperation and conflict prevention. But it is clear by now that globalization is just a new form of colonialism, not only in the Third World but elsewhere too! And this is not only economic neo-colonialism but also a cultural imperialism that brings with it the eradication and annihilation of local cultural traditions! The danger in this is that it denies and disregards the cultural identity of local groups (especially minorities), deprives them of their right to their own cultural heritage, their right to use of their own language, and their right to their own customs, religious precepts, mythology, and moral values. In short, this is the denial of collective cultural rights and freedoms! This is why UNESCO’s two new recommendations, Living Human Treasure and Proclamation of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (supplementing the 1989 Resolution), are particularly important. Though there is a system in Hungary in operation since 1950 that essentially satisfies the requirements of the Living Human Treasure system, and which has awarded prizes to outstanding folk artists every year since its foundation, the work has not been documented. One of the research projects, nearly complete, of the European Folklore Institute (formerly known as the European Center for Traditional Culture) is a monograph and complete documentation on this subject. Another project that we are supporting records the history of the internationally recognized “Dance House Movement.” We have several ongoing projects on the preservation and handing on of traditional folk music (e.g., the publication of the folk music collections of Vikár, Bartók, and Vargyas).

My concrete proposal, therefore, is that the Member States respect the cultures in their own countries and, above all, the cultural heritage of ethnic minorities and pass legislation to ensure that this happens.

Respecting local cultures means, at the same time, upholding cultural identity. The most serious problem for the peaceful coexistence of various national groups, apart from human rights, is in the freedom to declare their collective cultural identity. These are, of course, not new ideas, since one of the Ten Commandments is about precisely this ancient wisdom: “Honor thy father and thy mother that thou might live long on this earth!” The commandment implies respect for our ancestors, respect for tradition, and the maintenance of the values inherent in local traditions. Allow me to modify the Third Commandment a little, so that I might finish my contribution with it:

“Let us honor each other’s local traditions, so that we may live long on this earth!”